This document summarizes a student thesis project on the diversity and selection of shells by hermit crabs on the Mandvi coast in Gujarat, India. The study observed three hermit crab species - Clibanarius infraspinatus, Clibanarius padavensis, and Diogenes species - occupying 19 species of gastropod shells at two beach sites. Diogenes species most commonly occupied the Monoplex aquatilis shell. The maximum gastropod shell species diversity was found at Serena beach. The distribution of hermit crab populations correlated with available gastropod species in the habitat.

1. DIVERSITY AND SELECTION OF SHELL OF THE
HERMIT CRAB ON MANDVI COAST, KACHCHH ,
GUJARAT
Aslam Sorathia
Dhaval Nara
Wasim Sorathiya
Government Science College-Mandvi Guide :- Dr. P.J. Pandya

2. Thesis Presentation Outline
Introduction
Scientific Classification
Objective
Study Area
Materials & Methodology
Results and Discussion
Conclusion
Reference Slide
03
07
10
11
15
17
22
23

3. Introduction
01
 On earth oceans is one of the major
reservoirs of life. A coastline is the area where
land meets the sea or ocean, or a line that
forms the boundary between the land & the
ocean or a lake.
02
The coastline of India is w7,516.6 km long, out of
which 5,422.6 km is located along the mainland
whereas 2,094 km is located in the islands
[Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1,962 km);
Lakshadweep Islands (132 km).(Ahmad 1972;
Kumar et al 2006).

4. 4
01 Crustaceans
 The crustaceans are a group of animals that belong to the
class crustacean in the phylum arthropod (organisms with
the segmented bodies, jointed legs or wings & an external
skeleton).
02 Gastropods
 A type of animal with no spine, a soft body with a flat
base used for moving, and often a shell, for example a snail
or a slug
03 Crab
 Crab belongs to the order decapoda (ten legged, referring
to the 10 thoraic appendages normally present in these
crustaceans).

5. • There are total 112 species of hermit crabs (Paguroidea) belonging to
26 genera and 5 families are reported from Indian waters.
• Total 13 species are found in Gujarat State.
• We observed three species
1. Clibanarius infraspinatus
2. Clibanarius padavensis
3. Diogenes Species

6. Hermit Crabs
• Clibanarius
infraspinatus
Text Here: Text Here:
• Clibanarius
padavensis
• Diogenes avarus

7. Hermit Crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Subphylum : Crustacean
Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Infraorder : Anomura
Family : Diogenidae
Genus : Clibanarius
Species : Clibanarius infraspinatus

8. Scientific classification
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Subphylum : Crustacean
Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Infraorder : Anomura
Family : Diogenidae
Genus : Clibanarius
Species : Clibanarius padavensis

9. Scientific classification
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Subphylum : Crustacean
Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Infraorder : Anomura
Family : Diogenidae
Genus : Diogenidae
Species : Diogenes avarus

10. Objective
To study diversity and selection of shell
of the hermit crab

11. Study Area
Site Location Site information
Serena beach is the coast
in Mandvi Taluka in
Kachchh district of
Gujarat state, India.
Serena is located 3 km
from Mandvi. It is
situated at N22.8190496,
E69.3704197.
The study area of the
present study located on
south of Kachchh. The
selected site is fully
sandy with no human
activity
Serena beach

13. Site Location Site information
Salaya Coastline
(Kashivishwanath Beach) is
the coast in Mandvi Taluka in
Kachchh district of Gujarat
state, India. It is located 2.5
km from Mandvi. It is situated
at at 22° 49' 14.124'' N scope
and 69° 21' 15.7644''E
longitude.
The study area of the present
study located on south of
Kachchh.The selected site
geomorphological construction
comprises of sandy shore with
a mangrove fix encompassed
by rough structure. This
mangrove and beach front
region are rich with marine
verdure giving the region its
own character.
Kashivishwanath Beach

15. 01
02
03
04
Encountered hermit crab species and gastropod shells were identified
up to species level by comparing differences in morphology, size,
structure, patterns and color with available identification keys (Apte
1998), literature available in the form of books, manuals, research
articles, and with help of specialized websites (WoRMS - World
Register of marine Species). (KACHHIYA).
Hand picked
Visual observation
Hermit crabs were gently removed from their shells by slowly twisting
the crab in opposite direction of the shell spiral and only intact
individuals were used for the study.
Materials
and
Methodology

17. Result and Discussion
01
During the study period a total of
25 hermit crabs were collected, The
hermit crabs were found occupying
19 species of gastropods shells, of
which one species of gastropod
shells were most commonly utilized
by the hermit crabs. Monoplex
aquatilis was observed to be the
most frequently occupied gastropod
shell species by Diogenes species
02
The species diversity of
gastropod shells occupied by
hermit crabs was analyzed and
revealed that from the total of
19 species of gastropod shells
used by Diogenes species, the
maximum species diversity
was recorded at Serena beach.
03
The population distribution of
hermit crabs has an adequate
relationship with the gastropod
species available in the habitat
(Mantellato & Garcia, 2000).

18. SR.NO Crab Name Shell Name Shell Size(length) Crab Size(length)
1 Diogenes Avarus TECTUS TENTORIUM 1.6 cm 2.5 cm
2 Diogenes species MONOPLEX AQUATILIS 1.9 cm 3.3 cm
3 Diogenes species AGARONIA GIBBOSA 2.5 cm 1.9 cm
4 PERIWINKLES SHELL
5 Clibanarius Padavensis CHICOREUS BANKSII 1.9 cm 2.1 cm
6 Clibanarius infraspinatus INDOTHAIS IACERA 2.2 cm 3 cm
7 Diogenes species MONOPLEX AQUATILIS 2.6 cm 2.2 cm
8 Diogenes species MONOPLEX AQYATILIS 3 cm 3.6 cm
9 Diogenes Avarus MONOPLEX AQUATILIS 2.8 cm 2.9 cm
10 Diogenes Avarus LATIROLAGENA SMARAGDULUS 3.5 cm 3.9 cm
11 Diogenes species 2.1 cm 2.7 cm
12 Diogenes species CANCELLATE NUTMEG 3 cm 2.1 cm
13 Diogenes species CANCELLATE NUTMEG 3.1 cm 2.7 cm
14 Diogenes species NATICA PICTA RECLUZ 2 cm 2.2 cm
15 Diogenes Avarus CABESTANA 2 cm 2.4 cm
16 Diogenes Avarus CERITHIDEA 4 cm 2 cm
17 Clibanarius infraspinatus MONOPLEX AQUATILIS 3.6 cm 4.2 cm
18 Diogenes species PHORCUS MUTABILIS 2 cm 2.2 cm
19 clibanarius infraspinatus MONOPLEX AQUATILIS 3 cm 2.5 cm
20 Diogenes species LOTORIA PERRYI 1.3 cm 1.4 cm
21 Clibanarius infraspinatus RAPANINAE 5 cm 7.7 cm
22 Diogenes species BUCCINULUM 2.3 cm 1.5 cm
23 Diogenes Avarus HEXAPLEX TRUNCULUS 2.8 cm 3.1 cm
24 THAIS 4.9 cm 7 cm
25 Diogenes species TURRID 1.2 cm 1.6 cm
26 RAPANA VENOSA 5.5 cm 5.8 cm

19. Results Pie Chart
78%
4%
18%
OVERALL HERMIT CRAB SPECIES IN THE STUDY AREA
Diogenes species Clibanarius Padavensis Clibanarius infraspinatus
23%
8%
69%
Overall density of gastropod species in the
study area
MONOPLEX AQUATILIS
CANCELLATE NUTMEG
others

20. Results Data Chart
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Crab size
Crab size
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Shell Size
Shell Size

21. Tectus
Tentorium
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Latirolagena
Smaragdulus
Cancellate
Nutmeg
Cancellate
Nutmeg
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Phorcus
Mutabilis
Lotoria
Perryi
Rapaninae
Buccinulum
Hexaplex
Trunculus
Thais
Monoplex
Aquatilis
Turrid
Rapana
Venosa
Results Data Chart

22. Conclusions
• The present study concludes that both C. infraspinatus and D. Species showed marked shell utilization
in the fully muddy shoreline of the west coast of India depending on their body size and the availability
of preferred shell.
• However, C. infraspinatus was rather choosy in the selection of the shell as it resided in the shell of
fewer gastropod species than D. Species. It is possible that because D. Species was the dominant
species of this coastline, the interspecific competition restricted C. infraspinatus from occupying greater
verities of shells.
• Various other factors like availability of appropriate shell, shell morphology, intra-specific and inter-
specific competition, seasonal effect and prior experience of the shell species may also be responsible
forshell utilization preference of the hermit crab species

23. References
23
01
An annotated checklist of hermit crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) of Indian waters with
three new records Jigneshkumar N. Trivedi, Kauresh D. Vachhrajani
02
A Beheraa, S K Padhia, S Royb, S Patro, & S Mitra : Biodiversity of hermit crabs in Odisha, east
coast and their distribution in other coastal states of India , 2020 Indian Journal of Geo Marine
Sciences Vol. 50 (05), May 2021, pp. 385-390
03
Diversity and new records of intertidal hermit crabs of the genus clibanarius(Crustacea:
Decapoda:Diogenidae)from Gujarat coast off the northern Arabian sea, with two new records for
the mainland Indian coastline (Pradip Kachhiya, Jatin Raval, Paresh Poriya & Rahul Kundu)
04 Raval J.V. (2011) International Journal of Zoology Research, 2 (1), 30-35
05
Trivedi, J. N. Osawa, M., and Vachhrajani, K. D. 2016. A new species of the genus Diogenes Dana,
1851 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae) from Gujarat, northwestern India. Zootaxa. 4208:
189–197.